Israel hits Hamas sites after balloons with 'explosive device'

GAZA CITY, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Israel's military said its air force struck a Hamas target in the north of the Gaza Strip on Sunday, in response to "explosive devices" that were sent towards the Jewish state.

"Today, explosive devices were hurled from the Gaza Strip at Israel's border fence," the Israeli army said on Twitter.

The army said one of its aircraft targeted a Hamas military post in response.



The reported strike came after a Hamas security source said on Sunday Israeli aircraft had struck its observation points elsewhere in the Gaza Strip late on Saturday.

Those strikes - east of Al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip and east of Rafah in the south of the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave - did not wound anyone, the Hamas security source said.

The strikes occurred after a "cluster of balloons carrying an explosive device was launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory," the Israeli army said in a statement.

"No injuries or damage were reported," it said.

Palestinians in Gaza have for months sporadically launched balloons with incendiary and explosive devices at southern Israel in parallel with weekly protests and clashes taking place at the border fence.



At least 251 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March 2018, the majority shot during the weekly border protests and others hit by tank fire or air strikes in response to violence from Gaza.

Two Israeli soldiers have been killed over the same period.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008.